Tuesday's Tip : Blogging

I'm not an expert but I have learned a thing or two about blogging to promote my business. As a photographer the 2 most important things is that 1) you have a blog and 2) you post pictures!

I have recently learned a few things about content that tends to go viral there are 3 important things.

1) Positive does better than negative: people like positive tones. So more "do lists" will thrive over "don't lists" generally.
2) Emotion gets shared- strong (positive, if you follow point #1) emotions inspire people to share.
3) Practically useful info does better than fun random facts.

So if you are new to bloggin those 3 tips should help you direct you content and give you a better chance of having other share your posts.

Now since I'm a photographer here are some pictures!
Waiting for baby.. I can't wait to meet the little guy :)

Tuesday's Tip: Common Pitfalls in Outlook/Attitude

Today I wanted to talk about outlooks or attitudes that I feel are common; they are things that I would try to stay away from as a photographer starting out.  I've seen others make these mistakes I don't think sets them up optimally for success, I'll try to explain why I think so as I go through.

Find Personal Fulfilment in your Craft 

I love this photo

I understand when people really like something they are likely to buy it but I have personally found that some of the most vocal individuals are people who were never going to buy. For example, another children's photographer is unlikely to hire you to take pictures of their kids, so it isn't a big deal if they don't like your pictures of children. Likewise someone who is already married doesn't need to be in love with your wedding photography- it's great if they do but they're not your target market. There are some real trolls out there, some of them are other photographers who get off on criticising others.  I find that photographers who are too involved in what everyone thinks about their work have two big problems 1) They chase trends and try to please everyone instead of developing their own style. 2) They lack confidence in themselves and their work, regardless of their skills or their works artist merit. Do listen to people, sometimes they have a point that could be realistically improved upon but don't take photos to please the masses. Look for personal satisfaction in your work and aim to please the people who are actually buying from you. Even when you don't have clients, keep shooting to develop your personal style and acknowledge the value of your skills and the images you have.









Be open minded; Be teachable

I took this photo at a workshop I did

I have heard it said that there is no such thing as constructive criticism- there is only criticism and good advice and although they may come one right after the other they can't be dealt out simultaneously. Often times I think that in trying to not let criticism hurt, artist can be closed minded to all feedback. In a way this is the opposite problem of the aforementioned pitfall. While its great to have confidence, there is a place for people who are creditable and legitimately trying to help. I find the best way to be teachable is to go into a situation where you are obviously the student- like a class taught by a reputable teacher. some of my best experiences have been great classes. Although, not every class I've taken has been amazing. Frankly, some have been downright crumby but even the crumby ones improved me somehow- if only my patience :) While you may or may not be hanging on their every word, you can always practice listening and decide to take away at least one thing from the class. That is also how I listen to people's advise, I listen to it all and try to initially respond positively to all of it without letting too much sink in yet. Then after the conversation I then decide to take one or two points away and actually work on them. Assessing the creditability of the advise is also very important- while great advice can come from an amateur and horrid advice from a pro statistics favor the opposite.










There is No Magic Pill

 I'm still working at it

There are no lighting fairies or glass gods out there. Your destiny in photography is not the result of luck, fate or even a photo deity. It's your practice and hard work that make the difference. The end point of your work will depend 99.9% on you! Go shoot, go shoot, go shoot, then edit, edit, edit, network, network, network and REPEAT. Likewise there is no magic class you can take that will automatically transform you or piece of awesome equipment that will make all the difference the day you purchase it. Yes, everyone possesses different talents but every photographer is going to have to put work into some aspect of their business. There really is no substitute for hard work and rather than comparing the amount of work others seem to be doing keep you eyes on your own prize!

I recently read this quote

" Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
- Thomas A. Edison

Thursday's Tip????

Sorry Ya'll

This is the second time I'm writing this post and I really hate it when that happens. I was apologizing because I missed writing Tuesday's tip after having schedule a bunch to post every Tuesday... I guess it felt like I had written more.

 Anyway, if I was to really give you a Tuesday's Tip it would be to :

" Take some of those rods out of the fire!!!"

I keep myself like break-neck speeds crazy bus. Not the half of that is photography related but it still adds up and when I'm a stressed basket case my work suffers.

P.S- All potential photography clients out there should remember that a stressed out photographer equals sub optimal images!!! So be nice! I've had to "go to my happy place" in a couple of shooting situations.

So yeah my tip is "medium" amounts of photography related and it's to slow down and take your time. My creative juices just don't flow the same when I feel stressed or under a lot of pressure... unless you count this series of webcam shots I just took of myself :P

 

I think it's true for 99% of us, that while a little push is good... overt stress is BAD! So by doing things like not over booking yourself (keep in mind that you need time for life outside of photography too), smelling some proverbial roses and shooting for the sheer joy of it once and a while you'll keep yourself from creating your very own pull-you-hair-out photo montage!

So obviously I'm not a master at this yet but I actually employed a trail and error system to find my limit (this also kinda helps with pricing determinations too). I endeavored to book as many shoots as humanly possible and filled in "extra" time with fun shoots and then saw how long post processing took and my turn around to in the clients hands. I then cut back until I felt I had a maximum work load that I can handle, I have determined for myself that I can do about 6-8 photo shoots a month without spontaneously combusting. It's not much of an issue in the winter but as baby and wedding season comes up it can be a bit dicey and as my person life ebbs and flows that number needs to change too. I also try to never have more than a morning shoot and an afternoon shoot so that I don't need to worry about running out of time before the job is done to my satisfaction. That is unless I'm having a photo event day (like renting an awesome hotel room and doing 4 boudoir shoots) but then I usually set things up to run smoothly well in advance. 

It's easy to forget but how long post processing, advertising, client meetings/customer service really takes but making time for it is really important. Slowing the pace and not over booking are skills that I'm still working on but I think I'm getting better :)

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Tuesday's Tip #3

I was thinking about several different topics for this blog post but I settled on giving a list of the best advice that I've ever gotten from other photographers.So here are the gems that have stuck with me over the last 3 years!

1. There will always be someone with crappier gear taking better pictures than you. I guess the nicer way of saying the same thing is that gear doesn't make a photographer. Likewise, just because you can use the "auto" setting of a DSLR doesn't mean you are awesome... even if it is the latest model. Pictured above are the first cameras that I used when I was just starting out shooting digital (I no longer own my film SLR). They are a Sony cyber-shot and a Pentax Optio 50L. They are far from the tools of my trade now but they helped me develop my eye and I still carry them from time-to-time. It sounds cliche but some of my best shots were taken using them- it's true. So resist the urge to buy, buy ,buy in the hopes that some piece of equipment will transform your art. I think all you really need is a camera and maybe a tripod (but you can even get around that).

2. You have to take pictures to develop as a photographer- sounds obvious I know. Saying it another way: it doesn't matter how much you know about your camera, how awesome an in class workshop you went to last week, or how inspired you are by someone else's work until you can change your actual images as a result! If you want to grow it's the age old advice- Practice, practice practice!!! I have often fell in a slow time and didn't know how to keep going... I have taken pictures of some pretty strange stuff just practicing lighting and developing my style.Yes, above you are seeing images of pots and pans, a chef knife and a dripping faucet- you do whatcha gotta do.

3. Be yourself and don't chase trends. While some trends are cool if you chase every trend you'll always be behind and your clients will notice. I think as long as you have learned and understand the basics of exposure and composition- then just do what you want! It only by developing your own style that you could ever be "cutting edge", maybe you'll set your own new trend or maybe you'll just find great happiness in your own art rather than always trying to pretending to take pictures like someone else. Despite what I've just said that doesn't mean its not cool to try and imitate something you found inspiring- just give credit when you do that and be yourself!

So I guess I'm kinda low on technical tips and stuff this week but I think that this stuff is just as important. Keep shooting and keep growing. I don't think I'll ever want to stop pushing myself to be better!

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Tuesday Tip #2

5 Reasons to USE a TRIPOD!!!!!!

I have to always remind myself that as much as I like to hold my camera that a tripod is pretty much never the wrong choice.

1) Image stabilization
Large lenses do better on a tripod. They are physically harder to hold still and heavier, plus when you are using a telephoto lens zoomed in small movements a the camera equal much larger movements in the image being captured so if you can stabilize with a mono or tripod. 

2) Low light/ Long Shutter speeds
A good rule of thumb is anytime your shutter speed is equal to or less than your focal length -get out the tripod. (ex. 300m < 1/300 or 200mm < 1/200.) I'll be honest though I often go by feel, if I can hear the distinct sound of both the open and the close of my shutter I'm going to be taking my tripod out but I should likely take it out sooner..

3) Nighttime and Sunsets
This is kind of just an extreme condition of #2. So it's kind of obvious that the available lighting is reduced and so to get more light into the lens, you need to adjust exposure and shutter speed or maybe your camera has a Night setting. I find that sunsets can be photographed without a tripod but you can easily lose the vibrant colors and the fine details in the clouds without even releasing it.

4) HDR (High Dynamic Range)
More honesty. I'm not really into HDR. I know how to do it and yes it looks cool when others do it but yeah it's just not my thing. Anyway if life under your rock is cozy this is how it works you set your camera to bracket exposures. Bracketing exposures create images that are + n f stops from the original setting and -n f stop from the original setting you could use as little as 3 images or really as many as you could handle. Other than HDR this technique is helpful to make sure you captured the image perfectly. Without a tripod you'd have issue lining up the images once combined and you'd get more blurring than desirable.

5) Photoshop Awesomeness
I'm apparently feeling like telling you my entire list of secrets today! In my photography this is actually the Number 1 reason I pull out my tripod. I always try to use a tripod when photographing young kids in a group. Inevitably I have to take two images and swap some faces to get everyone looking and smiling. I have also often planned an image that would stitch together aspect of several images. Using a tripod makes those quick switches SOO much easier.

What reason have you grabbing for your 3 legged friends? Leave a comment!  
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REVAMP 10 Networking Tips For the Shy or Sheepish

Originally I wrote this post in 2010 after coming home from Photoshop world conference, I have since learned some things and I wanted to update my suggestions for those of us who don't exactly love getting out there and working a room.

I still have my own little brand of social avoidance. I love people, I love to get involved in their lives and make strong friendships- I'm just not a huge fan of talking to strangers and I especially do not enjoying being the first one to strike up a conversation. While I think this is a rather common trait I am still trying to over come. Fellow photographers seem to still represent a much greater mental obstacle than clients.

Here are my updated suggestions!

1) Fake it til you make it!
I'm leading off with the most painful of my suggestions. Grit you teeth, get a good antiperspirant, and hold something so they can't see you shaking and just go talk to people.

2) Stay positive.
I seem to inevitably say something totally retarded when meeting new people but try your best to just keep smiling. Do retract any outrageous statements but don’t dwell on it. Don't put yourself down- that's not humility, its self deprecation. Also no one likes a whiner try to always lead off with positive things.

3) Bring a friend or "wing man"
If you already have a buddy who fits in the atmosphere bring them along- as you meet people introduce each other. This also avoids the awkward standing in the corner by yourself feeling. Often I socialize with my husband and much to my horror he will start telling people what I do- after the initial discomfort wears off though I've struck up good conversations and made connections. So go ahead and cling to the social butterflies maybe it will rub off a bit.

4) Be a good listener.
Most people would rather talk about themselves than hear about you. So ask a simple question like, “What upcoming projects are you excited about?" Also people love to hear their own names so use it during the conversation- it may initially feel strange but especially at the end of a conversation it lets people know you were listening. Furthermore if you say their name you are more likely to remember it later.

5) Have good business cards and USE them
It's great to make a contact but it will only last if you can contact them again. Enter business cards! And no need for some covert secret handshake or slip-it-into-their-pocket-like-a-thief-in-the-night action to give them out say something like, "I've really enjoyed chatting with you, I'd love it if you could email me a link about that camera you were talking about" and hand them your card. You get bonus points for getting other peoples cards too- go ahead and ask. I don’t think there is anything cool about waiting to contact people either- it’s not a date- it’s a business interaction. Playing hard to get is kind of silly, so the next day send those email and solidify those contacts before you forget what was talked about.

6) Check your appearance frequently.
If there is food being served check your teeth, if you went to the washroom check for tp on your shoe, if you decided to wear the false lashes make sure they're not on your eyebrows. Although people might talk to you if you have something amiss in your appearance it's likely not the kind of attention you want to attract. I carry a purse with things like lip gloss, chewing gum, lotion, antiperspirant, tissues, a comb and a tide pen. After finishing each drink a make a quick pit stop at the bathroom to make sure everything is looking the way it should. No need to stare into every mirror you see but quick checks are good.

7) Move around the room.
I have this personal obsession with really awesome shoes (that aren't always very practical) so I need to work on this one more too. Many people stick to their own corners and circles, use suggestion # 9 to try and get into a new circle of conversation.

8) Look for mentorship from and people AND to mentor others.
No matter how many years of experience, education or equipment knowledge there is a distinct chance that someone else's work is superior to yours. The flip side is also true. Always try to check your ego and don't make assumptions, often at social gathering we're not carrying our portfolios around with us. I personally feel it is safe to take the humble road and not brag about my work. I'll talk openly and honestly about what I do but I leave the horn blowing aside. If you are talking to someone who really seems to be blowing their own horn politely move on- I find such egos are often not helpful for me to know even if they are a fantastic artist.

9) Compliment others.
Most of us feel reassured and admired when someone says they like our work. Take it even one step further and give a very specific compliment, this will be easier if you know their work or something about them. If you haven't seen their work compliment their attire or an attribute of their personality (I'd avoid complimenting anything physical as to come off professionally interested, NOT romantically)

10) Be Yourself!
Although it may seem obvious, cliché and possibly interpreted as contradicting #1. Being yourself is also vital to the longevity of a contact. If you were so into another character when you initially talked to a person additional contact may leave them feeling like you have a personality disorder. While I would discourage giving your life story to anyone, be honest and open about who you are and what you are about. If your primary goal in the industry is to make money to support yourself or your family don't go off on a rant on the value of having clients become close personal friends. I find writing things down about how I want to present myself helps me to have a professional veneer that still lets the essence of who I really am shine.

Selling my brand online and networking in person are 2 distinct skill sets both of which I am in the process of acquiring. If you found this post helpful or if you have even better suggestions I would Love to hear them! So please leave a comment :)

Tuesday's Tip #1

I've decide to boost my content on my blog with a little tip hopefully once a week- we'll see how long I can keep it up (I have written a couple of tips right now to store for "rainy days" so hopefully I can keep 'em coming for a while)

Did you know that there is no standard way of displaying colors?

The colors from your camera, to your computer screen to whatever printer you use are all different! If you feel like the pictures you bring home from the store aren't as awesome as the ones in your camera it might be a color management issue.

There are several ways to overcome this:

•  The most time consuming one is to calibrate colors but that's a whole blog post of it's own.

•  I think for the average hobbyist photographer the best way to deal with this is to get your photos printed at a good place (*coughWallyWorldDoesntCountcough* there are many other offenders out there too) and once you've picked a good place keep getting your photos printed there.

 For example the place I get my canvas wraps done always looks a tad more green than my computer screen so I can send them files with a bit of a red hue on my screen and then they come out normal. Or the place I get my birth announcements made always prints a bit dark so I send them files that I've purposely made lighter so they come out normal.

Sound like too much effort? I agree. There are a few really awesome sites that actually check your colors for you!!! and before you ask- yes it costs more but its worth it! Usually most printing sites have a "professional" section- go ahead check it out! You don't have to show credentials etc. often you will find better pricing on larger orders and/or ways to get around any color issues you might have :)

For example Mpix is a solid service. (I am not affiliated in any way with them... though it would be cool if I was). I like their coating and their color correction service, yes you do pay more but I think it's well worth it!!!

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Happy Snapping